The Reality War
by KColl2003
Summary: When Giles discovers a rip in the fabric of reality, he also discovers a war that threatens to engulf the multi-verse. Sequel of a sorts to A Halloween Universe.
1. Chapter 1

**A\N:** I'm a big fan of AlbertG's Ruinations War series, and this is my humble attempt at the same sort of sprawling space opera war. It's also a sequel of sorts to my on-going story 'A Halloween Universe'. The Buffy xover begins in chapter 2.

**A\N 2: **Thanks to Allen Pitt for all his input. No Mr. Pitt, I won't be using Moya in this story!

**A\N 3: Disclaimer:** None of the verses used in this story belong to me. Nor do I seek to make any profit from this story.

**FIC: The Reality War (1/?)**

Imperial City, Imperial Center

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Thrawn stared around the briefing room. The majority of the senior officers seated within it were his choices for this armada. Some were women, a rarity in the male-dominated empire, but the vast majority were men. Five years ago the rebel alliance had been utterly routed, their base destroyed by the prototype Death Star, and ever since, the Empire had searched ceaselessly for further territories and further races to conqueror and add to its vast holdings. Deep range scout ships had been sent into The Unknown Regions, Wild Space, The Expansion Region, and The Outer Rim to find civilisations to conquer and various powers had fallen to them, but two years the deep space scouts had made the big find, the one that had made the Imperial upper echelons salivate.

Everybody stiffened as the door slid soundlessly open and Sate Pestage, Grand Vizier of the Empire, dressed in his customary purple robes, strode in, followed by Ysanne Isard, the notorious and much-whispered about Director of Imperial Intelligence, arguably the most powerful woman in the entire empire. It was a measure of the importance of the briefing that it would be given by State Pestage, the third most powerful being in the Empire, answerable only to Lord Vader and the Emperor himself.

The Grand Vizier strode onto the stage at the front of the room and stepped onto the podium, his wizened features intense. "Thank you all for coming here," he rasped. "As you're all aware, the Empire has been involved in a grand expansion of its holdings, sending scout ships far into unexplored space. And while we've discovered the occasional civilisation, it isn't until fairly recently we've discovered a whole new region of space rich with civilisations to conqueror."

"How far away is this area of space?" queried a voice from within the crowd of watching officers.

"It's been estimated that these systems would take five to six decades to normally travel there even at maximum speed," the Director continued, her mismatched eyes only adding to the intensity of her glare. "However our scout ship also stumbled onto a thousand kilometre wide expanse we've named the Quantum-Acceleration Corridor that allows us to travel there through a method we're not entirely sure of but is safe, in five to six days. As a result we've had spies in the area for over a year, mapping systems, collating information, readying sabotage for when we attack, and building subspace communication systems for us to use."

"And what are the results of this information gathering?" queried Ledre Okins, the Admiral with a well-deserved reputation as Palpatine's snitch in the Imperial upper ranks.

A map of dozens of star systems and hundreds of planets illuminated the wall behind Isard, part of the map glowing. "The system's greatest power is the United Federation of Planets, but while vast and technologically advanced it rules via consensus and democracy rather than military expansion. The main powers are its funding members – Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar Prime, but it encompasses at least a thousand worlds." Isard paused before continuing. "There's more information on these planets and other major players in your encrypted datapads to be read after this briefing has finished." The illumination dimmed to be replaced two other glowing sections. "Secondary powers include the Klingon Empire, who in recent decades underwent a disaster that weakened them considerably, however they're far more aggressive and warrior-orientated than the Federation, and the Romulan Star Empire, a genetic off-shoot from the Vulcans but a far more militant and emotional people." The two illuminated areas dimmed and were replaced by a quartet of lit-up sections. "There are other, tertiary powers including the Ferengi Alliance, the Cardassian Union, Breen Confederacy, and the Gorn Hegemony. Then there are the other still smaller powers, Sheliak Corporate, Tzenkethi Coalition, Holy Order of the Kinshaya, the Talarian Republic, and Tholian Assembly. All the details of these races, their physiologies, cultures, governments, militaries, and technologies are uploaded onto your datapads, but suffice to say it is a fragmented area of space that requires the Imperial Empire to bring order to it."

Thrawn rose at his cue and strode to the podium. He'd been given advance warning of his briefing, a month's advance warning during which time he'd worked feverishly to first digest the information relating to the target sectors and turning that data into a strategy to conqueror the area. "The Emperor has in his infinite wisdom and generosity gifted me an armada of 25,000 ships with which to conqueror these two quadrants of space. I will lead a six thousand strong fleet against the strongest power, the Federation, Admiral Pellaeon," Thrawn looked towards his protégé, "will act as my second. Admiral Daala, you will lead 4,500 ships against the Klingon Empire." The Imperial Navy's only female Admiral grinned in delight. Admiral Parck," he looked towards his expressionless mentor, "will lead the 4,500 strong fleet against the Romulan Star Empire. Admiral Oxtroe will lead a four thousand strong fleet to contain the minor powers and ensure they don't reinforce the major powers. Admiral Okins," Thrawn directed his gaze towards the only Admiral not hand-picked by himself, "will hold the remaining four thousand ships in a staging area at the near end of the Quantum-Acceleration Corridor, ready to send them to reinforce the other fleets when and if they're required." Thrawn paused momentarily before continuing. "Our Armada leaves in three days and I would advise you all to spend that time and the journey time familiarising yourselves with the intelligence that has been collated on the targets, the officers and ships under your commands, and your objectives and targets."

* * *

Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco

"I trust you've heard the most recent news?" Jellico shook his head at the other Admirals rising at his entry. "Let's not stand on ceremony, this is hardly the time."

Jas Abrik, the Trill who served as Federation Security Advisor sighed. "I've just being going over the reports from the fronts. It's not just us, everybody's being pushed back. The Ferengi, the Klingons, the Romulans, the Cardassians, even the Gorn."

"And everybody knows what they're like," commented Admiral Owen Paris then shook his head. "Does anybody have any idea where these people have come from?"

"All we know is that they belong to an entity calling itself 'The Galactic Empire," Admiral Alynna Nechayev replied. "An imposing name for an imposing enemy."

"What about our attempts to form an alliance with other powers in the sectors?" Admiral Paris queried.

"Any ships we send we are sending into contested space," Admiral Akaar replied. "And even if they're successful, they'll take weeks to get back."

"So," Jellico sighed, "we're on our own."

"Perhaps not," Akaar looked towards Admiral Elizabeth Shelby, the head of Starfleet Research & Development. "Liz?"

Shelby nodded. "Since before the formation of Starfleet, we've taken samples, DNA samples

during medicals, and now we have a library of several thousand samples. In tandem, Starfleet Intelligence & Starfleet Research & Development have been working on a top-secret project, Project: Resurrection to create simultaneous clones from these solutions and grow at an accelerated rate experienced officers to crew our ships. Bear in mind our shipyards are turning out ships faster than we can crew them." Shelby paused. "This could be a solution."

"What are the limitations on this?" Paris queried.

"We can't seriously be considering this!" Nechayev demanded, her eyes alight with outrage. "Illicitly taken DNA samples and unsanctioned clones! Why the ethical and legal considerations alone-."

"I know all the arguments Alyana, I've gone over them myself but desperate times call for desperate measures," Shelby replied, her voice heavy. "The limitations are this as I understand that 1) none of the subjects can still be alive, according to the scientists that would endanger temporal integrity, 2) they'll mature to the exact age and with the memories of the sample taken, so if your only sample is that of Archer pre all his expeditions then that's what you'll get, just potential, if on the other hand your only sample is of a hundred and fifty year old man, then you'll get somebody at the end of their life 3) no trills or people who have been joined with trills, their physiology is for obvious reasons impossible to clone."

"And what does the President think of this?" Nechayev continued her objections.

"It's been decided," Akaar exchanged looks with Shelby, "not to inform the President of this, to give her plausible deniability."

"How very convenient!" Alyana sneered. "And what of our allies? I don't suppose they'll be happy when we start resurrecting dead Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites!"

Akaar grimaced. "That is a worry," he admitted. "But we're going to try and sell it to them as the return of their heroes, as a positive thing."

"We don't have the luxury of worrying about niceties," Jellico declared, his steely tone denoting that as far as he was concerned the matter was closed. "I can't imagine the morale boost of having the likes of Archer, Pike, Murat, Decker, and Garrett return from the dead would have for callow cadets and ensigns." Jellico paused. "Just how many viable samples are there?"

Shelby looked towards her datapad. "Allowing for those restrictions I mentioned earlier, somewhere in the region of two and a half to three thousand viable samples."

Jellico nodded. "Something in the region of a hundred to hundred and twenty-five command crews. We could staff their ship's more junior positions with newly-qualified ensigns from the Academy. It's not perfect-." He glared at Nechayev's derisive snort. "But it's a start."

"Quite apart from Alyana's moral objections," Paris commented. "This Empire we're facing has a lot more than just a hundred ships."

"It'll provide a breather, perhaps make the enemy consider where we suddenly got a hundred more ships from," Abrik commented. "And worry perhaps if we have still more."

Jellico leaned forward in his chair, eyes intent. "Okay everybody. As Owen and Jas just said this is a huge gamble, but a Hail Mary play is all we have left at this stage."

* * *

An Undisclosed Location

Donzar Rellick worked quietly at his station, his tranquil expression belying the thundering of his heart. He'd been in this universe for just over a year, one of the very first imperials to be posted undercover here. As an xenobiologist he'd been tasked with finding out everything he could about the cultures and physiologies of the races making up the Federation but had ironically discovered that the very skills that had made such a valuable spy had also ended up side-lining him in a project where he could not help the Empire, a project called Project: Resurrection.

Until now.

His fellow scientists, mostly human, but some Vulcans and the occasional Trill & Tellerite, worked obliviously alongside him, unaware that the generator they believed would power their experiment had in fact been sabotaged so that when the experiment entered its most critical stage it would overload with enough power to wipe this entire outpost from the face of the planet, leaving nothing for the Federation to rebuild.

They in fact had only minutes to live. Of course he would die alongside them.

But his life was a worthy sacrifice for the Empire.


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

Iram, 2013

"Mr. Giles I have a report on the recently discovered spatial anomaly."

"Oh?" Even as Giles glanced up at the speaker he marvelled at how much things had changed in fifteen years. Halloween '97, he had been a reasonably intelligent, reasonably accomplished intellectual and then in one night all that had changed, becoming unarguably the most intelligent being on earth and indeed perhaps the entire galaxy, as well as technically no longer human. And now, fifteen years later, he led a colony of over two hundred transplanted Sunnydalers, Slayers, and assorted allies, including those recruited in the hectic weeks just before their exodus, based in a city of the ancients in the Pinwheel Galaxy.

One of the many marvels they'd encountered was the being stood before his desk. Seemingly a dusky-complexioned man of medium height and sharp features with a pencil moustache, slicked back hair, and intense eyes, Iram was in fact the android Artificial Intelligence the Ancients had left behind to act as the many-spired city's caretaker. "Yes sir," the android nodded. "The anomaly is not naturally occurring it appears to be artificial in nature."

"How so?" Giles' brow furrowed.

The android continued. "According to the readings taken by the beacon this tear is in the fabric of space itself and originated at the other side of space. According to the readings I can surmise that there was a build-up in energy that shorted-out, perhaps in an accident or in sabotage, and was re-directed causing this shredding of the universe."

Giles pursed his lips. "I assume you sent a Stealth-Snoop through?"

Iram nodded at Giles' mention of the cloaked sensor beacon he'd personally designed and built. "The findings were somewhat confusing."

"How so?"

"Stealth-Snoop mapped the systems nearest the tear and then from that approximated the wider galaxy. According to the algorithms the galaxy is the Milky Way, but it is not our Milky Way, sir."

Giles tilted his head to one side, mind racing with the possibilities. "An alternate reality?"

"Given the differing civilisations and lifeforms, yes." Iram gave Giles a second to allow the information to sink in then. "There's more sir, video."

"Oh?" Giles' eyebrows danced upward at the datapad proffered by the android. His jaw dropped as he watched a pitched battle in space. He wasn't the nerd that several of the Sunnydalers were, nevertheless he recognised several of the very distinctive ships. He looked up at the android, it was almost on the tip of his tongue to ask if it was a joke, but then remembered that the droid was incapable of humour. "I need you send as many Stealth-Scoops that we have into this reality, and prepare them with an auto-destruct if they're detected," Giles' fingers tapped at the desk in front of him. "I don't suppose there's a way to repair this tear?"

"I'm afraid not sir," Iram replied. "To do so would take a power source beyond anything we have."

"A power source beyond that of the Ancients," Giles murmured. All in all, discouraging. Mind you, closing the gap would still leave this alternate reality earth and its allies at the mercy of what was after all an implacable enemy.

But one ship, even one as formidable as their own couldn't turn the tide of such a war.

A slight smile tugged at his lips. It was fortunate therefore that he knew just where he could get several ships just like it. However he couldn't make such a decision without consulting the others. "Call a meeting of the Assembly," he decided. "We'll need to discuss this."

* * *

Xander stared open-mouthed at the footage being displayed on the screen then looked towards Giles. "This is a hologram right? You have got to be kidding!"

"No kidding," Giles shook his head, his grim expression testament to his seriousness. "This was picked up by a Stealth-Snoop I sent into the recently discovered disturbance. Apparently it's a rip in a reality, joining two realities together."

"Can we close it?" Jenny sighed at Giles' shake of the head. "Then how big is it?"

"Big enough so that multiple ships can simultaneously come through it. And in anticipation of your next query, yes ships can traverse it safely." Giles paused. "We have to consider how we react to this."

"Wait where is the Rebel Alliance in this?" Xander queried.

"No sign of them, just the Galactic Empire apparently in the Star Trek verse," Giles retorted. "I think it's safe to assume that in this reality, the rebel alliance was either destroyed or is enough of a non-factor so that the Empire could spend resources invading the Trek verse."

"What do you propose?" Wesley demanded.

"We can't simply leave the Trek verse alone to fall, morally it would be wrong. Moreover, should the Empire discover this opening into our universe, what's to stop them from flooding in?" Giles replied.

Wesley shook his head. "As formidable as this ship is, we can't hope to take on the Empire on its own."

"There's a place where we can access multiple ships of this kind," Giles commented. "We know that Earth has taken access of many if not all the addresses that we gave them. That's twenty-one city ships in seven galaxies. Plus the various ships the likes of the Furlings and the Asgard can supply."

"And how will you convince them to even meet with you?" demanded Diana.

"I'll prove that I was the one that gave them the gate addresses to each of their city ships, that should be enough to convince them I'm somebody in the know."

"Well that's certainly audacious," Robin swallowed. "However would you convince them to help us?"

Giles smiled. "Enlightened self-interest. After all, the Empire will come after them soon unless they're stopped. It might take years, decades, or even centuries, but they will come. And I'll offer them a few designs of mine to sweeten the pot."

"Even if they agree to help they might not have enough pilots?" Wesley queried.

"You remember what we found when experimenting with the city's systems, the Ancients are close enough to the Jedi amongst us, it appears both are evolved humans, that if need be we can lend them some of our people to act as their pilots," Giles replied. It appeared that those who had the mental prowess of a Jedi were close enough to a pre-ascension Ancient as to make no difference at all.

"When you go who will take with you?" Robin queried.

"Xander, Jesse, Gunn, and Owen to carry sixteen of the ZPMs we've made, and myself," Giles replied.

"When do you intend to go?" Wesley queried.

"If this Assembly's in agreement, I'll send the message to SGC immediately," Giles replied. "As soon as we get the okay, we'll go."

"And while you're gone?" Jenny asked.

Giles sighed, his heart heavy. "I want you to make sure our production of the T-800s and drone weapons is at optimum levels, and that all our space ships are ready for action. In short, make sure we're ready to go through the tear as soon as possible." Giles looked around the hushed briefing room. "If everybody's ready?"

* * *

Major-General Sam Carter looked up at a knock on her office door. She groaned slightly as she leaned back in her seat and stretched out the kinks in her back. Oh for the good old days when she got back ache doing actual science experiments rather than damn paperwork. But as head of Stargate Command, her opportunities to get into a lab were few and far between. Shaking her head, she let out a shout. "Come in."

The door swung open and Master-Sargent Walter Harriman strode in, stopped at the far end of her desk and saluted. "Major-General Carter, we've received a strange transmission."

Sam smiled dryly. "Sargent, this is Stargate Command, strange is the order of the day, every day."

"Yes sir," Walter nodded, "but not like this."

"Oh?" she raised her eyebrow.

"Firstly the message began requesting to speak to General Hammond," Walter hurried on at her wince at his mention of the much-missed first commander of the SGC, "then proceeded to send the blueprints to the Elite-Class ship, the stargate co-ordinates to our Saturn shipyard, the one the General got off a classified ally, the cure that the Asgard used to cure cloning, the Stargate addresses to the Furling, Tollan, and Asgard homeworlds, and the Stargate co-ordinates to the twenty-one city ships."

Sam felt her heart leap into her mouth. "And all the details were correct?"

"I'm not an engineer or ship designer, but the co-ordinates to all the Stargates were accurate, as were the homeworld addresses," Walter replied.

By now Sam's mind was racing. "And what did the sender want?"

"He claimed to be the one who'd given us all the addresses bar the Asgard and Tollan homeworlds in the first place as well as the blueprints and our spare stargate, as well as providing the world with much of the advanced technology that didn't come through the stargate over the past decade, and claimed that he'd discovered a war that in an alternate reality that unless stopped would in all probability spill into ours."

Sam felt her head began to throb. In the past fifteen years, there'd been wars with the Goa'uld, Aschen, the Wraith, the Ori, the Chigs, and the Yautja. Now, excepting the usual fundamentalist nations, and they'd been largely crippled by Homeworld's satellite defence system's systematic obliteration of their airfields, barracks, and tank defences after a state-sponsored assassination of the V-P two years previously, Earth's defences were largely outward-looking. As a result, many of the world's militaries had been largely dissolved, in favour of defence forces and investment in the world's combined Space Fleets, their memberships largely recruited from the US., Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, China, Germany, France, India, South Africa, Israel, Argentina, and Brazil.

Still, even with the fifteen fleets that Earth had built up, and even with the supposed assistance of their allies in the United Planetary Alliance, another war was not at all what they needed. "Is he still on the line?"

"No, but he gave us a Stargate Address to call him back on," Sgt. Harriman retorted.

"Okay," Sam pulled on her jacket and rose. "Lead the way."

* * *

Giles glanced at his screen as it beeped. "Message from Major-General Carter of Stargate Command."

Giles nodded. "Please, put her through." He smiled as a pretty blonde in her mid-forties appeared on his screen. "Greetings from Iram, thank you for getting back to me so promptly."

"Iram?" The blonde's forehead furrowed. "Isn't that the lost middle eastern city mentioned in the Quran?"

"Lost no longer, I kept the address back when I dealt with your General Hammond," he paused as the blonde grimaced slightly, "ah, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Why exactly have you got in touch?" the air force officer queried. Giles went over his findings of the last two days. "Surely you can't be serious."

"As a heart attack," Giles grinned. "And don't call me Shirley."

"What do you want?" Major-General Carter demanded.

"Well first of all, I need to bring a team to the SGC. Secondly I need you to alert your allies to this threat, and ask their ambassadors to meet you at the SGC."

"You haven't given us any proof of this threat," the air force officer commented.

"Good point, I'll send you video of the attack and the readings for the spatial anomaly." Giles nodded. "I'm also sweetening the pot with the blueprints for the sensor beacon that was used in the exploring of this other reality and the blueprint for an orbital platform that is cloaked and has a force field, comes armed with three hundred drone weapons and a laser, plus has the artificial intelligence to recognise an allied ship and so move out of their way."

"You seem to know a lot about our operations, Mr. Giles."

Giles smiled broadly. "I like to keep in touch." He thought it unwise to admit to hacking SGC networks on a weekly basis to keep his mind sharp.

"I'll make the necessary calls then get back in touch," the Major-General promised before cutting off the call.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"Come on Carter! You have got to be kidding me! This footage can't be real!"

"That was my first reaction too sir," Carter replied. "But we've had experts check it out, Hollywood couldn't put out a fake as convincing as this."

"Star Wars vs. Star Trek?" O'Neill, the new Secretary of Defence, shook his head. "This sounds like one of those bad fanfics."

"Nevertheless it's real," Carter replied.

"And there's no way we can safely close this tear?" O'Neill replied.

"Sir, we don't understand what the tear is or how it occurred, much less how to close it," Carter replied.

"And ships would be able to safely travel through it?" O'Neill asked.

"Ships with a minimal amount of shielding far less than that we need to travel anywhere," Sam replied.

"Oh for crying out loud," her old CO cursed then nodded. "Okay, I'll alert the relevant ambassadors. The president is going to love this."

"That's why you get paid the big bucks, sir," Sam replied.

"That's right!" O'Neill's face crinkled in sour amusement. "Poke the bear. I'll get Daniel to gate in for this."

"Sir?" Sam was pleased at the prospect of seeing her old team-mate, but couldn't see his use.

"If we're going to send an expedition we'll need ambassadors," O'Neill replied. "And given his experience with first contact, he'll be my recommendation. Plus he'll never forgive me if he misses out on this." O'Neill paused. "Have you read the file on Rupert Giles and his group?"

Carter nodded. Her head spun at the idea of Time Lords, Jedi, DC & Marvel heroes come to life. "They sound formidable, sir."

"That they do," O'Neill agreed.

"Will you be joining the conference sir?" Carter queried.

"Once I've briefed the president and gotten my instructions, I'll be flying down to chair the meeting," O'Neill confirmed with a nod.

* * *

Giles blinked as the stargate wooshed into life. "Are you ready dear?"

Giles looked over his shoulder to his wife of several years. "As ready as one can be, Jenny." He winked. "Take care of the old city for us." He looked towards the waiting youths. "Come on lads, we can't keep our hosts waiting."

* * *

O'Neill stiffened as the Stargate wooshed into life. He couldn't get used to it no matter how many times he'd seen it over the years. After a couple of minutes a learned-looking man who looked to be in his mid-forties followed by four powerfully-built youths, three white and one black, each brandishing, his eyes widened, a quartet of ZPMs. The man smiled as he noted O'Neill's gaze. "A present from us to you, a goodwill gesture if you will."

"Mr. Giles," O'Neill nodded as he took the other man's hand and shook it. "Several sizeable crates were delivered here in your name."

"Ah yes," Giles smiled apologetically. "In lieu of actual information as regards the two verses, I went online and bought two thousand copies of the most detailed reference books into both franchises – the cultures, the ships, the histories."

O'Neill nodded. "Good idea."

"Excellent, then we're already in agreement." Giles paused. "And the ambassadors?"

"They're here," O'Neill nodded. "If you'll follow me?"

Giles looked towards his companions. "Is there somewhere my companions can take their ZPMs?"

O'Neill looked towards his security detail. "Lt., please take these gentlemen to Dr. Lee's lab. I'm sure he'll go ga ga looking over the ZPMs."

* * *

Over the past few years, Earth's explorations had discovered that many advanced races had masqueraded as gods and taken humans from the planet in an effort to both guide and protect them. Some of these races like the Nox, the Omeyocan, and the Native American gods had evolved past a need for technology, the Middle Eastern ones had been largely hijacked by the Goa'uld, and still others, the Japanese and the Greeks had largely disappeared. Those who remained sat around the table, together with representatives of the less advanced races that also made up the Universal Planetary Alliance – the Free Jaffa Nation, Tollan Colonies, Ohnes Assembly, the Tok'Ra High Council, the Hebridians, Reetou Central Authority, and the Galaran Cabinet.

After introductions were completed, O'Neill called the meeting to order.

"I've given this a great deal of consideration," Giles replied. "Either we take a fleet of thousands of ships through and risk stripping this reality of protection from pirates and the like. Or we gamble and take a few dozen of extremely-powerful capital ships through and hope our advanced technologies and the Trek verse's numbers are enough to sway the fight."

"We have four City Ships positioned here or on the moon, however Homeworld Command might be reluctant to release them all to your expedition," O'Neill declared.

"Come now Secretary," the Englishman's eyes bore into him. "You're not telling me Earth doesn't have orbital defence arrays, lunar-based missile silos, and other fleets in orbit with which to defend it?"

O'Neill decided right there and then he would never ever want to play cards with this seemingly genial Englishman. He was way too sharp, way too well-informed for that. "I'll have to okay that with the Homeworld Command, but given the severity of the situation I doubt they'll be much in the way of protest. I might even be able to get another three city ships to escort you." O'Neill paused. "However we might struggle to find enough pilots with the required Ancient genes."

"We have a solution to that," Giles declared. "It appears that the Jedi amongst us have many of the same gifts as pre-ascended Ancients – telepathy, telekinesis, and the like. Those who have the gifts seemed to have developed along the same genetic lines, meaning they in affect have the Ancient gene. We can supply several on loan if you need them, including four who have military or policing experience – Bobby Lee Swagger formerly of Marine Recon, Cameron Poe formerly of US. Rangers, Frank Martin formerly of the SAS, and Benton Frazer formerly of the Canadian Mounties."

"That will help thank you," O'Neill nodded. "We'll also have to move some of our civilian support staff – scientists and the like off the stations, that'll take a few hours."

"Since we re-integrated the Vanir a number of them have repeatedly requested we supply them with more advanced technology," Thor rumbled. "I have offered them sixteen O'Neills if they agree to use them in this force. They have agreed."

"And there I thought I was unique," O'Neill grumbled in a mutter before looking towards the Furling ambassador.

"I spoke to my government before coming here, they agreed to send eight Ziggurats," replied the ambassador. "We assumed you would agree to a mission and as a result they're already on their way."

"Thank you," O'Neill looked towards the Celtic Ambassador, the Celtic Circle representative looked uncannily like a Serrakin only both bigger and meaner, more assertive looking.

The Celtic Circle Ambassador nodded. "Like the Furlings, we took advice before attending this meeting. Eleven Vanguards are on their way here."

The Incan Alliance Ambassador was next to speak. "We can also send eight Zigguarats."

Next to speak was the Afar Assembly's spokeswoman, an imperious black woman dressed in traditional tribal clothing. "We can spare ten Archons for this grand endeavour."

Finally it was left to the Xian Alliance ambassador to speak. "We can spare fourteen Jians."

"Seventy-five ships in total," Giles nodded approvingly. "If nothing else, it should give us and them a chance. However there are several other matters I feel we should consider."

O'Neill looked towards the Englishman. "You have the floor."

"Thank you," the Englishman nodded towards him before looking towards the packed room in general. "I assume we're going to send some ground troops? I have a number of uniquely talented people and combat droids in my organisation, the details of which I've sent you. However, I assume you'll wish to send forces of your own?"

O'Neill looked towards the crew-cut, lined-featured man sat beside him. "This is Brigadier-General Tom Ryan of the United Earth Elite. Ever since the formation of the International Stargate League, the member nations have taken volunteers recruited from the member nations' Special Forces to form the UEE, a five thousand strong brigade with a remit to act only either against enemy aliens or in space. A thousand of them are currently stationed here. Brigadier-General Ryan will lead them."

Teal'c spoke up. "There is a growing dissatisfaction amongst the youngest of the new Jaffa, they have not fought in the battles of the past, and seek to prove themselves. Hunting down the last of the Goa'uld does not satisfy them. My very son, Ry'ac is one of these Unblooded. I fear that this dissatisfaction could lead them to hire themselves as mercenaries and into unwise decisions. And so I offer five thousand of them to act as ground troops."

"It seems you've given this a great deal of thought," the Englishman approved. "I assume we're going to take an ambassadorial staff?

"That matter's already under consideration," O'Neill hedged. "I'm going into a meeting directly after this one to discuss it."

"Forethought indeed," Giles nodded. "Thirdly what about a force to wait at this side of the tear, just in case the Empire attempts an invasion?"

"We feel we have some time before that occurs, at least until the Trek verse has been thoroughly conquered, however we do intend to have a force guarding the force tear," O'Neill replied. "However we feel it's perhaps unwise to share the details of our plans with anybody who is at risk at falling into enemy hands."

"That is perhaps wise," Giles conceded with a nod. "I assume you'll continue attempting to close the spatial tear?"

"Of course," O'Neill nodded. "You realise of course if we do manage to close the tear, you'll be trapped in this other dimension?"

"I think we're all in agreement that better we're stuck in this alternate reality, than the whole universe is forced under the Empire's jackboot." The Englishman smiled. "Moreover, while I'm more than aware of Major-General Carter and Dr. McKay's quite laudable intellects, I'm willing to bet you won't be able to solve a problem that stumped several time lords." The Englishman paused. "I assume we'll have to discuss just who is in overall charge of this force?"

"Neither yourself or Major-General Carter will be joining our forces, O'Neill?" asked Thor.

"I only wish I could," sighed O'Neill. Paperwork sucked the big one.

"Then I recommend Mr. Giles," Thor looked towards the Englishman. "He made a very creditable defence of Earth when the Goa'uld attempted an invasion."

"Mr. Giles isn't a professional soldier," O'Neill protested.

"Aren't I?" Giles raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you've read my file, the battles I've fought both before and after my possession, the memories of wars I have."

O'Neill nodded reluctantly. The earth soldiers he was sending would doubtless protest, but one couldn't argue with results, and Giles did have memories of battling the likes of Cybermen, Daleks, Judoons, Sontarans, and Orgons. "Very well. If there's no other issues?"

"Just one," Giles replied. "I've received further intelligence from sensor beacons I sent into the tear of a staging area of several thousand ships in a remote area of space. I've got a few ideas on a battle plan?"

"This room's free for you to discuss your battle plan if you wish," O'Neill replied. "But I have another meeting to attend if you don't mind?"

"I will accompany you O'Neill." His best friend rose and fell in alongside him.

* * *

"Thanks for the loan of the Unblooded, Teal'c."

Teal'c half-bowed to him as the pair of them made their way through the SGC's lower levels. "You are welcome O'Neill, it serves a very important need for my people. The Free Jaffa Nation has also agreed to loan you twenty motherships for the blockade of the spatial tear. I trust our allies have already committed their forces?"

"The Ohnes have promised half a dozen warships, the Tok'Ra the same, the Serrakin have agreed to send ten heavy cruisers, and earth itself will be sending two fleets on rotation," O'Neill replied. The problem would be keeping up a guard for months against a potential threat.

"A formidable number of ships, but as we both know the Empire could send a fleet numbering in thousands," Teal'c commented.

"I'll be honest the thought had occurred to me," O'Neill replied. The footage of the war had sent shockwaves through the Pentagon and given Homeworld Command all the ammunition it needed to start an accelerated expansion of the fleets. However given the supposed size of the Star Wars universe, every earth citizen could be enlisted in the Stargate fleets, and they would still be little more than a speed bump to the Imperials.

"In that case do you think the few dozen ships can make that much of a difference?"

"Thought had occurred, our ships will be better than theirs but vastly out-numbered," O'Neill replied. "'Course we do have intel on the verse that could be advantage. But as Mr. Giles pointed out, we could send every ship of the lesser-powered races through and it wouldn't do much to help the Federation and its allies, while also leaving us vulnerable to an attack to our rear."

"Indeed."

The rest of their walk was spent in a grim silence that only ended when they arrived at the briefing room where Carter & Jackson were waiting. "Did the meeting go well, sir?"

O'Neill waved Carter back to her seat. "Better than expected. Our fleet should be leaving soon."

"What's Mr. Giles really like?" queried Carter.

"He's formidable, looks younger than me, but you get the idea he's got experiences far beyond his years," O'Neill paused. "Which makes sense given his file."

"And he really knows his ancient history?" Jackson excitedly asked.

"You know Danny," O'Neill shot the archaeologist a scathing look, "the subject didn't come up." Chastened, Daniel sat back in his seat. "Danny, are you interested in being this mission's ambassador?"

O'Neill entertained himself a few seconds with Daniel's agape look. Finally though his friend nodded. "I'm surprised you didn't want an official diplomat on this?"

O'Neill shrugged. "You're the one who came up with the original UPA treaty and have more first contact experience than an embassyful of diplomats. Plus, hey I trust you."

"Oh shucks, next thing you know I'll be blushing," Danny grinned.

"We're also going to send Ronon Dex, Aris Boch, it seems he wants to work for us in payment for helping his planet, and Vala Mal Doran to be your bodyguards."

"Vala," Daniel paled. "Oh please…"

Jack smirked. "But Daniel, I'm just thinking of your safety."

"I'm safer in a different galaxy from Vala," Daniel protested.

"I've been instructed to send Dr. Molly Caffery, a high-level governmental crisis manager as your deputy. In addition I've selected Colonel Davis as your military attaché," O'Neill continued. "And Malcom Barrett to act as your intelligence liaison."

"Colonel Davis will be pleased to finally get in space," Carter commented. "Ever since that Noah Wyle show, Falling Skies started, he's been obsessed with that Pope character and becoming more 'bad-ass'."

"The question remains who to send as the team's science representative given that you can't go," O'Neill shook his head. "No, don't protest Carter, you're too valuable to leave here."

"Puts me in my place," Daniel muttered.

"And we can't send Drs McKay or Rush because they both could start arguments in an empty room," O'Neill mused. "That leaves Zelenka or Lee, neither choice that fills me with joy."

"Or how about," Carter clicked her fingers, inspiration clearly hitting, "Dr. Henry Deacon? He's brilliant, and thanks to his work with Global Dynamics he's already got the necessary clearances and signed the necessary paperwork."

"Yeah, I'm aware of some of his work." O'Neill flushed when everybody stared incredulously at him. "Alright, alright, I've seen his name in reports about several inventions. I'll put him on the team."

"Given the amount of technology out there, we need to send more than one scientist." Carter said.

"Got any names, you're the expert?" Jack O'Neill queried.

"Another Global Dynamics employee, Zane Donovan is an expert in a number of sciences, and has signed the relevant secrecy papers. Then there's Jennifer Hailey-."

"Your pint-sized protégé?" Jack O'Neill queried with a snort.

"She has the relevant paperwork and is bright enough," Sam fired back. "There's two others too. Claudia Donovan works for the Secret Service, and is a computer expert that would be more than capable of learning from their artificial intelligence. There's also an Alec Hardison, he's a computer expert and hacker. He doesn't have the paperwork though, and does have a criminal record-."

"No way," O'Neill shook his head. "No how. I'll look at the rest given they all have signed the relevant paperwork, but no way am I letting a crook into the biggest remaining secret we have, this reality rip."

"What other team positions are requiring filling?" Carter asked.

"Medical. We could send Keller-." Once the room had finished laughing, O'Neill smiled. "Yeah I can't say that with a straight face either. I see it coming down as a direct choice between Beckett or Lam, any thoughts?"

Carter shook her head. "Beckett's off world, part of that refugee expedition to Ilempiri attempting to cure their addiction to Roshna."

O'Neill nodded at the reminder. "Oh yeah, forgot that. Lam it is then."

"And when will we leave?" Daniel queried.

"Within forty-eight hours."


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

The eight city ships gleamed in the sky, while beside them hovered the O'Neills, their sleek grey lines belying their massive size and their bows dominated by a curved, bulging head. Alongside them hovered the Ziggurats of the Furlings and Incans, the only discernible difference between the flat-topped pyramids of the two differing races were the inscriptions etched upon their sides. Next to arrive were the Celtic Vanguards, golden diamonds with a black globe in the middle, the diamond flanked on either side by three hundred metre long blue cylinders. At the front and rear of the black globe there was set a particle beam cannon while beneath the diamond there hung a trio of energy torpedo silos. Next came the Afar Archons, massive, gleaming ships that were a golden semi-circle to the rear with cannon turrets sticking out of each side and a long, thin silvery rectangle that ended in a point sticking out of its middle, two torpedo shafts beneath it. The final crafts to arrive were the Xian Jians, large imposing things with square rears, blocky middles, arrowhead fronts and forward curving crescent wings set in the middle. In the front of arrowhead there was a neutron cannon while laser banks were set beneath and in the middle of each of its crescent wings.

"Rupert, the last of the ships has arrived."

"Yes thank you." Giles nodded at Jenny's announcement. During the nearly two years they'd spent at Iram, they'd made considerable enhancements to the city's defences, he personally fine-tuning the cloak and adding a secondary force-field inside the first. For their parts, Diana and Gwen had worked together to design a trio of particle beam cannons that now acted as the primary weapons, the drone weapons now intended for use against smaller ships. The particle beam cannons were an especially formidable addition. Instead of firing energy pulses like most energy weapons, they were in fact matter weapons unleashing a narrow, high-intensity beam of super-heated plasma capable of overloading and penetrating the most advanced force fields and boring through enemy ships with relative ease. In comparison with most energy weapons, it didn't take long to charge and could fire several shots in quick succession.

Giles was also aware that although the Earth-operated city ships looked the same, they'd also been altered considerably. The Puddle Jumpers had been abandoned as too few people could use them, and their bays modified and expanded to incorporate four twelve strong squads of Star Strike fighters. In addition Homeworld Command had added eight pairs of rail-guns as a last defence should the shields fail. The railguns were a particularly formidable if basic weapon, high-velocity projectile weapons using electromagnetic fields to propel armour-piercing rounds at a speed of mach 5 over three hundred miles, a standard magazine carrying twelve thousand rounds and capable of firing a thousand rounds per minute. A single magazine capable of razing a whole squadron of enemy fighters.

They were facing the tear in space, a horizontal rip about a hundred and eighty miles wide and twenty miles high at its highest point. Giles shuddered as he tried to stare into the tear. All around the rip was normal space, filled with planetary bodies and gleaming stars, while in the rip itself there was nothing but deep, impregnable darkness. "Okay," Giles spoke into his intercom, "Wesley, we're ready to move off."

Giles stared at the screens and shook his head. As far as the sensors could read there was nothing, nothing to see, nothing to hear, not even the remotest energy reading, the only readings they could pick up were the other ships in the armada and the energy readings at either end of the tear. But inside the tear nothing existed.

He supposed it made sense, the rip linked two realities together but was outside reality itself. Therefore, there was nothing inside it. No light, no life, no energy.

Which didn't stop it from being creepy. "Giles, I've finished checking the bombs," Xander reported in his earpiece. "We have eighty neutron charges ready."

"Excellent, contact the other city-ships and start teleporting the remainder over to them," Giles nodded. "Warren, how's the T-800s coming?"

"I'm running the last checks," Warren replied.

"Good lad," Giles approved with a nod. "Message me when you're finished." The T-800s had been Warren's idea, inspired obviously by the films, and designed and built by Warren and Lance. The cyborgs had a more limited AI than that of the show, not enough to cause the problems that had arisen in that fiction, and were limited in strength and speed to 'only' match a Slayer although they had far greater stamina and durability than the average Slayer. They'd also had the T-800's databases loaded with detailed files related to advanced infiltration techniques, basic training for soldiers, emergency medical training, sniper training, an extensive tactical database, and various unarmed fighting techniques. The CPU was also equipped with a homing beacon allowing them to keep a record both of its whereabouts and condition as well as a self-destruct device that could be remotely operated.

The T-800's speech patterns enabled it to replicate any human speech by digitally synthesising their speech patterns. Its auditory sensors allowed enhanced hearing and to listen in to any electronic conversation in its vicinity such as telecommunications or radio calls. Its optical sensors were similarly enhanced, capable of telescopic, microscopic, and night-vision. The T-800s also do not feel pain. All in all, they were accomplished and formidable warriors.

And bloody hell they needed all the help they could get.

Just over seventy capital ships, even ones as advanced as theirs, against an army numbering in their tens of thousands. Giles shook his head. "I'm a bloody idiot."

"No arguments here."

Giles looked over to the current head of the Slayer guard permanently stationed in Iram's control room. "Your input is as always appreciated," he sniffed.

Faith's dimples deepened in an unabashed grin. "You're only miffed 'cause you know it's true."

"Huh, quite."

"Giles," this came from Jonathan who was busy at the sensor screen. "We'll be exiting the tear in ten to fifteen minutes."

"Excellent," Giles looked towards Rondell sat at the communications station, "send the other ships our regards and request they turn their cloaks on, observe radio silence, and journey to the staging area at maximum speed as soon as we leave the rip."

* * *

The Admiral's Executor-Class Star Dreadnought gleamed a menacing black as it sat at the front of the reserve fleet, dominating the other ships behind it with its sheer massive size. Just behind the Star Dreadnought sat approximately eighteen Praetor-class Battle Cruisers, the grey-shaped mastodons a similar triangular shape but far smaller than the command ships. Behind them were a hundred of the grey-painted, characteristically triangle shaped Imperial-Class Star Destroyers, ships that had humbled many a planet. Several hundred of the blocky Star Galleon-class frigates hung in space behind the Destroyers and alongside them floated their formidable Lancer-class brethren. And finally behind them, there floated several thousand Acclamator II class assault ships, Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers, Strike-class medium cruisers, and Carrack-class light cruisers. Meanwhile TIE fighters and bombers buzzed like insects from ship to ship. All very orderly, all very disciplined.

All proving that he shouldn't in fact be in his current position, but rather leading one of the attack fleets, not nursemaiding. Adrimal Ledre Okins glared at the sensors before him. It was the fault of that damn alien, Grand Admiral Thrawn and his raging jealousy towards him. What sort of fool left his best admiral on the sidelines because of envy?

* * *

Giles spoke into his fleet-wide microphone as they hid behind their cloaks, the Imperial fleet opposite them utterly oblivious to their presence. "As I'm sure you've all taken readings from the fleet's shields. I'm far from sure that we're capable of teleporting organics through the force fields. However, I'm sure we can teleport inorganics through the shields and as result, I've teleported ten neutron charges to each of the city ships which I suggest they teleport in turn in groups of five to two each Imperial-Class Star Destroyers in the fleet's third row, the ones marked on your screen. Then, when the explosions occur, we take that as a cue to fire on the first two rows of the fleet, targets have already been selected. The moment they start to reform ranks and return fire we leave."

Giles looked towards Jonathan. "On three. One, two, three."

* * *

"What is happening!" Admiral Orkins let a panicked scream as the first row of Imperial-Class Destroyers was suddenly engulfed in flames, ships twisting and rippling as in seconds they turned from magnificently menacing ships to mangled messes torn into fragments.

His heart leapt into his mouth as some seventy huge ships of unknown configurations appeared in front of them. There was a frozen second and then hundreds, no thousands, of glowing orbs shot out of ships that were best described as floating cities and at them. Orkins' heart soared when the orbs were absorbed by their force field. The enemy might have caught them by surprise but they could-.

Orkins paled when the readings for the force field began to plummet. First to seventy percent, then fifty, then thirty, and finally nothing. Too late he realised he'd missed his opportunity to strike back. Hundreds of orange orbs sped through space, illuminating its darkness and then crashing into the ship. The orbs hit the ship everywhere – front, top, bottom, and both sides, but thanks to their sheer number that spreading of the attack failed to lessen their impact.

Orkins screamed a curse as he was flung from his feet, sparks flying from consoles as power shorted all over the ship. The juggernaut of a ship shuddered like it was caught in a giant, city-wide earthquake. Orkins' next scream was lost under the thunderous creaking of the ship's hull ripping apart.

* * *

Giles stared at the screen as dispassionately as anybody could be after orchestrating what amounted to the deaths of at least a million. They were the aggressors he reminded himself as the Executor-Class Star Dreadnought broke up in a shower of multi-coloured flames, at least a dozen of the Praetor-class Battle Cruisers likewise obliterated, victims of their allies' ruthless fire, while the line of Imperial-Class Star Destroyers behind them was also in chaos. No-body had forced them to invade this place.

"Giles," this came from Jonathan, "no retaliatory action as of yet, but the remaining ships are attempting to reform their ranks."

"Very well, signal the retreat," Giles nodded then looked towards Rondell, "have you hacked their computer systems yet?"

"Done," Rondell nodded.

"Then download the video onto their databanks," Giles ordered. 'The video' was a visual recording of the UPA's victories over the Yatuja, Chigs, Aschen, Wraith, Ori, and the Goa'uld with a message 'Your presence here will not be tolerated. Leave."

And if they couldn't take the hint….


End file.
